Twelfth city officer sentenced in towing scheme

Baltimore police officer Samuel Ocasio has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for his participation in an extortion ring involving city police and a private towing company.

Ocasio, 37, of Edgewood, was sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake for conspiring to commit and committing extortion under color of official right. He also received three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $1,500 to the Baltimore Police Department.

In the scheme, brothers Herman Moreno and Edwin Mejia paid more than 50 officers, including Ocasio, to have their company, Majestic, tow vehicles from accident scenes to their shop instead of to a city-authorized company. Ocasio would be paid $300 for each vehicle that he sent to Majestic.

Ocasio is one of 12 officers sentenced so far for their participation in the scheme.